Joining TV coax

[alan_m]

That would be my preferred way of joining. I would also wrap in self amalgamating tape. You need to stretch the tape as you wind it around the connection.

[Ian Jackson]

They do exist - but the easiest way to find them is to catch a unicorn or a hen with teeth, and they will show you where you can get them.

[alan_m]

The skill with a Belling Lee coax connector was applying enough heat to get the solder to flow without melting the plastic which seems to have a melting point of a few degrees above ambient :)

[Ian Jackson]

Indeed.

But in many professional installations, no soldering was done, and the coax inner was simply poked through the pin. In REALLY professional installations, the coax inner was critically kinked before it was poked through the pin - thus infinitely increasing the chances of it actually making a satisfactory contact.

[Robin]

and how to fit them? I can manage a screw-on F-type male (sometimes even before I have to start repeating my curses) but I struggle to see how a female could be anywhere near so simple and safe.

[Dave Liquorice]

Can't think that the WD40 does much apart from making it harder to start the SA tape. Had joints wrapped in SA tape outside for about 15 years without WD40 and like yours as bright and as clean as they day they were wrapped.

[Martin Brown]

Where is Maplin when you need them! RS or Rapid should have them but minimum order charges apply so no use unless you need a bunch of stuff.

[Ian Jackson]

It just helps to 'kill' any moisture that might get in - or was there in the first place.

[Terry Casey]

No! That is Belling lee style coax female!

For joining two F cmale connectors together you need one of these:

Note that is a pack of 10 but is considerably cheaper than a pack of two from Wickes (same owner!)

If you just need one, you might do better at a diy shop or, if you bump into a VM or satellite instal crew, you might get one for nothing!

[Bill Wright]

Until one day you don't.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

No forget it. They're a nuisance.

Bill

[Andy Burns]

Round here the pro installers seem to use elaborately spaced patterns of insulating tape, presumably so they can differentiate their own f*ck-ups from competitors' f*ck-ups without breaking out the ladders?

[Ian Jackson]

Maybe not. Securing (especially foam or semi-airspaced) coax with tape, cable ties, clips can cause slight crushing. This makes the cable very slightly capacitive at these points, and if it is done at regular intervals, each slight mismatch can add up and cause a suckout. So maybe the professionals are simply demonstrating their 'professionalism' by avoiding even the slightest possibility of the performance of their installation being impaired?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ordinary heat shrink isn't waterproof. You need glue lined for that.

But self amalgamating tape is the normal way.

[John Rumm]

You can improve the performance in that respect a bit if you shave off some shards of glue stick and poke em up into the sleeving each end before you heat it. that then fills and consolidates it at the end and seals it to the wires.

[Mathew Newton]

I'd prefer to stick to F-type connectors as I feel they make a more positive connection.

I'll go with my usual method mentioned in the OP; thanks everyone for the discussion.

[Bill Wright]

Nah.

Bill

[Graham.]

I know no better way than two f-types and a barrel connector. that one you linked to will be lossy and it's plastic so isn't even screened. Awful thing!